A bearing equipped with an optical sensing fiber is one example of a cabled bearing of this kind. WO 2011/066929, for example, discloses a bearing with a circumferential groove in an outer ring of the bearing, whereby the groove accommodates a sensing fiber for measuring, in particular, bearing load. Typically, the sensing fiber is connected to an optical interrogator via a fiber-optic cable, whereby the interrogator is located outside the bearing arrangement. The cable emerges from a surface of the bearing and is then led out of the bearing arrangement.
A further example of a cabled bearing is described in EP 1548419, which relates to a system for diagnosing a presence or absence of an abnormality of a bearing unit for a railway vehicle axle. The system comprises a sensing/processing portion for outputting a signal generated from the bearing unit as an electric signal, and a calculating/processing portion for making an abnormality diagnosis of the bearing unit based on an output of the sensing/processing portion. The signal is transmitted via a cable that is preferably waterproof, oil-resistant and heat resistant.
The present invention seeks to address some of the problems associated with mounting a bearing comprising a cable that is attached to the bearing, and guiding the cable as it emerges from the bearing in the application.